Ragen Chastain

Ragen Chastain

Bio

Ragen Chastain is a professional speaker, writer, and real live fat person.  She has spoken everywhere from friend's living rooms to Google Headquarters to Cal Tech and Dartmouth.  She will not stop until we live in a world where the full diversity of body sizes is respected, and fat people are able to live in fat bodies without shame, stigma, bullying, and harrasment, regardless of why they are fat, what being fat means, and if they could (or even want to) become thin. She lives in Los Angeles with her partner Julianne and their adorable rescue dogs, and is training for her first (and hopefully only!) IRONMAN triathlon. If you can't get enough of her on Ravishly, you can check out her blog www.danceswithfat.org

Ragen Chastain Articles

March has been a pretty stellar month for The Resistance, actually. (Image Credit: Flickr/Fibonacci Blue)

March Activism Success Roundup

In the U.S., we are living in frightening times.

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Judging on appearance - even of Trump & his team - is aiding and abetting the enemy. (Image Credit: Flickr/Gage Skidmore)

Stop Body Shaming The Trump Regime

Donald Trump was recently told of a state senator who is in favor of civil asset forfeiture reform — a concept, it turns out, that is one of many t

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It is absolutely OK to be whatever size you are, including hella fat. It is absolutely fine to not be “healthy” or “strong” by whatever definition. (Image Credit: Instagram/body.brave)

We Must Stop Making These Mistakes About Health & Body Positivity

Suggesting that there is some weigh at which we are no longer allowed to love our bodies is fat-shaming and oppressive. Suggesting that you should have to achieve some level of “health” to love yourself is healthist and oppressive.

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Google! A walk is not a cupcake!

A Walk Is Not A Cupcake: Google's Worst Idea Yet

Hey Google - encouraging people to walk, while ignoring there are plenty of people with disabilities, is engaging in ableism. Cupcakes only make it worse!

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This show didn’t just do irreparable harm to its contestants, but also to the viewers of all sizes who tuned in every week to see supposed healthcare professionals model the idea that fat people need to be screamed at.

The Biggest Loser Might Be Cancelled And This Is Why That's Great News

NBC's The Biggest Loser might be cancelled after allegations of abuse and fat-shaming. Here's why it would be a GOOD thing if the show never aired again!

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Fat people need Megyn Kelly and Maria Kang to STFU.

What Megyn Kelly And Maria Kang Think About Fat Shaming Doesn’t Matter

Megyn Kelly and her guest, Maria Kang, bragged about how having their loved ones fat shame them has been part of their fitness and nutrition routines.

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Facebook needs to change its policy on banning users because of cyberbullies. Now.

Julia Busato & Facebook's Fat-Shaming Problem

The herd of misogynist, sizeist cyberbullies who have a lot of issues and seemingly endless free time abused the tool that Facebook has for users to report images that violate their community standards. Facebook rewarded them by banning Julia for 30 days with no explanation — she can log in and see what’s written, but she can’t post or reply to anything there.

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Dickens was shocked to receive a letter back stating that, because of her weight as reported on the form, her child was required to schedule a follow-up visit with her pediatrician and provide documentation of it to the school.

Back-To-School Body Shaming

How are kids going to have any chance to develop a lifelong love of movement when we teach them that exercise is either punishment for having a body that is “too big” or something to be done in order to keep kids from looking like their larger classmates?

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Nobody needs our white asses jumping in to whitesplain racism to People of Color. Just don’t.

A Guide For White People Who Don’t Think That Thing Is Racist

For many white people, our first reaction to hearing about racism is to immediately look for a reason to say “That’s not racist!” That said, in conversations I’ve had where people are struggling with this, they have asked for specific ways to work through this. So if you find yourself in this situation, here are some steps that you can take yourself through.

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Gym Gone Wild — Fatshaming Kids As A Marketing Ploy

In case there are people who need to be told this (and there shouldn’t be) fat shaming kids is never, ever ok. And it does not lead to healthier kids.

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